The Naughty List (The Naughty List #1)(66)

“You do?” My breath came out in jagged gasps. He nodded.

“But…”

My heart sank.

He looked me over. “I don’t know if we can fix this. I’m … hurt, baby. I’m so hurt.”

I wanted to make it better, rewind time and erase what I’d done. But all I could do was try to smile.

He reached out to hold my cheek. “You’re always so brave,” he said adoringly. “Always smiling for me.”

“Because you make me happy,” I choked out, not wanting him to leave me.

Aiden sniffled, a tear running down his already-glistening cheek. “And you’re my little ray of sunshine,” he whispered.

I wanted to plead, but I didn’t. Because I knew that we needed time to figure things out if we hoped to figure them out at all. This was my chance to find out just who the heck I really was, because I wasn’t sure anymore. I’d been a Smitten Kitten, an SOS operative, a perfect daughter, and Aiden’s girlfriend. But now I needed to find me.

“You’re right,” I said finally. “I think more time apart is a good idea.” And it broke my heart to say it.

Aiden closed his eyes, his nostrils flaring as he stood in front of me, breathing and hanging his head. There were a couple of calls from the audience—things like: “Kiss her” and “Get back to the game.” It was nice of them to care. Aiden and I had been perfect together. Or almost perfect.

Aiden opened his eyes. “You’re my girl, Tessa Crimson. You’ll always be my girl.” He brought me close to him and wrapped me up in his arms, staring down into my face. “And even if we aren’t together, that won’t change.”

“We could be the happiest undating couple ever.” I smiled at him.

He laughed. “Something like that.”

Someone began a slow clap. I looked over to see my dad standing, slapping his hands together loudly. My mother stood up next to him and joined in. Soon the entire gymnasium was cheering for us, applauding the saddest breakup in the history of breakups. And yet I knew it’d be okay. Even apart, Aiden and I could still love each other.

“Hey.” Aiden leaned close, grinning, looking sideways at the bleachers. “Give me a kiss,” he whispered. “You know, for the crowd.”

I’d kiss him, all right. I’d kiss him good and plenty.

I licked my more-than-eager lips and got up on my tiptoes to press them to his. I was so happy that he’d touch my mouth again that I balled his jersey up in my hand and pulled him closer to me. Aiden and I made out—right there in center court. As the halftime show.

The crowd erupted. It was so loud that I had to reach up and cover my ears. Aiden chuckled and released me, giving the crowd a double thumbs-up. Then he turned back to me.

“You are definitely a Sex Kitten,” Aiden said, looking me over.

I was about to correct him when he held up his finger.

“I mean Smitten Kitten.”

“Thank you.”

We watched each other amid the screaming fans as both of our smiles began to fade. “I’m gonna miss you, baby,” he whispered.

I pressed my lips together to keep from crying and ruining the moment. “Not as much as I’ll miss you, Wildcat.”

Just then, the locker room door swung open and clanged loudly against the cement wall of the gymnasium. Coach Taylor came storming out. My heart sped up. Something told me that he might be a little PO’d at Aiden. When he got to us, he crossed his stocky arms across his chest and glared.

“What’s up, Coach?” Aiden asked. He was still staring at me, looking nostalgic.

“What’s up?” Coach Taylor looked ready to pounce. “Oh, I don’t know, son. How about the fact that you walked out on my speech, attacked another student, and are making a spectacle in center court during halftime? Is that enough up?”

Aiden chuckled. “Am I suspended, then?” I darted a nervous glance between them.

“No,” Coach Taylor said, looking into the bleachers. “Luckily for you the Ducks are winning. They’re so high off their own fumes, they didn’t hear a thing from the locker room. The principal was calling for your removal, but I talked him into suspending you from school starting tomorrow,” he said gruffly, pulling up on and adjusting the waistband on his khakis. “You think I’m gonna let my star player get kicked out of the finals?”

Glad his priorities were in order. The playoffs came first.

“Tessa?” Coach Taylor asked, and looked at me. “Do you mind if Aiden fulfills his commitment to his team?” He was being sarcastic.

“No, sir.”

Aiden reached over to touch my fingers. “Go cheer for me, baby,” he said, leaning quickly to kiss my cheek. Then he walked over to slap his coach on the back. “Well, then, let’s go!” he said wide-eyed, like Coach Taylor was the one slowing them up.

Coach Taylor exhaled as if he’d been worried that Aiden was a lost cause. He followed my ex-boyfriend as they jogged toward the lockers. Aiden turned back once to wave at me, and I giggled. He was so dang cute.

Kira stared at me as I approached the sidelines. Her face was unreadable. I paused in front of her, reaching down to pick up my pom-poms. The rest of the girls were cheering from the line, but Kira watched me. I looked behind us at the crowd, happy to see that Christian was gone. My father winked at me from behind his glasses. He was purely peachy.